


Black Widow

by madsthenerdygirl



Series: MCU Rewrites [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 02:21:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11613921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madsthenerdygirl/pseuds/madsthenerdygirl
Summary: After the events of The Winter Soldier, all of SHIELD's records are on display for the public, including Natasha's. The former Black Widow is now on trial, as the world reviews her history. With her entire life on trial, Natasha's past is laid out before her and she is forced to expose the demons that haunted her as the judge asks the world the question: Is the Black Widow a hero?





	Black Widow

**Author's Note:**

> I think one of the biggest problems the MCU currently has is that they're rushing. They need to go back to standalone films and take the time to show us characters and get us to love them--that's what made the MCU work in the first place. It's simply a crime that Black Widow hasn't gotten her own standalone film, so here it is!
> 
> Madame B is played by Helen Mirren
> 
> This film takes place simultaneously with the events of my New Avengers and Captain America: Ghosts of HYDRA scripts. If they were in theaters, NA would have been released in early May, BW in June, and CA: GoH in late July/early August.

FADE IN:

 

EXT. MALL OF AMERICA - DAY

 

NATASHA ROMANOFF, aka the Black Widow, is standing among the trees. She’s wearing a suit - and rocking it - but looks uncomfortable.

 

Someone steps up to greet her - it’s STEVE ROGERS, aka CAPTAIN AMERICA. He’s got a duffel slung over his shoulder.

 

STEVE

Get off my lawn.

 

Natasha turns, smirking, and deliberately stamps on the grass some more. Steve grins. They hug.

 

NATASHA

You and the gang headed out?

 

STEVE

Just me. Rumlow’s been causing problems in Eastern Europe.

 

NATASHA

But what about Strucker?

 

STEVE

The others are going after him.

 

Natasha arches an eyebrow.

 

STEVE (CONT’D)

They’ll be fine.

(pause)

How are you holding up?

 

Natasha shrugs.

 

NATASHA

Sometimes it feels like this trial’s gone on forever.

 

STEVE

There shouldn’t even be a trial. You defected. You’ve done incredible work for SHIELD. You’re the one who released the information.

 

NATASHA

You and I both know that governments don’t see things that way. And it’s not like I’m the only one on trial. Half of SHIELD’s being hauled up. They want to make sure none of us are HYDRA.

 

STEVE

This’ll go in your favor, Nat. I promise.

 

For a moment, Natasha looks like she might break down. It’s a crack in her defenses, but then it’s gone. She’s back to being invulnerable.

 

NATASHA

And you watch your back. Don’t think I don’t know why you’re really going after Rumlow.

 

STEVE

I have it under control.

 

NATASHA

At least when you had Sam with you I knew someone was watching you. You’re soft on him, Steve. What if he takes advantage of that and hurts you?

 

STEVE

Bucky is my best friend.

 

NATASHA

He might not be Bucky when he does it.

 

There is a tense moment as Steve stubbornly stands his ground. Natasha sighs, hugging him.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

Don’t forget you’re my friend too, okay? I want you back safe.

 

Steve nods into her shoulder.

 

They step apart as CLINT BARTON, aka HAWKEYE, walks up. He’s also wearing a suit and looks just as uncomfortable in it as Natasha does in hers.

 

CLINT

Recess is over.

STEVE

It’ll work out. I’ll see you guys in a few days.

 

He and Clint clasp arms, Roman-style, and then Steve heads out. Clint looks over at Natasha.

 

CLINT

You ready?

 

Natasha nods.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. SENATE STEPS - DAY

 

Clint leads Natasha into congress, past the throng of yelling protestors and reporters. Some protestors are holding up signs that say FREE BLACK WIDOW and NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES. Others are holding signs that say GO BACK TO RUSSIA and TRAITOR. Reporters are trying to get at Natasha, asking her questions. The police try to keep it all back.

 

Natasha lowers her head. Clint puts an arm around her shoulders and holds his hand in front of her face, shielding her from cameras.

 

PROTESTOR

Russian whore!

 

Clint flips the protestor off.

 

NATASHA

You should have left your hearing aids out. Then you couldn’t hear them.

 

CLINT

If you have to hear them, I have to hear them.

 

They enter the building.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Clint and Natasha separate as they enter the courtroom. Clint goes to sit next to PEPPER POTTS, CEO of Stark Industries and Tony Stark’s fiancé. Sitting at the defense table is a team of the best lawyers. It’s indicated that Pepper and Tony have hired them for Natasha. Everything is very reminiscent of Tony’s trial in Iron Man 2.

 

Natasha takes her place with the lawyers at the defense table.

 

As Natasha sits, she flashes back to...

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM CLASSROOM - DAY

 

YOUNG NATASHA rises along with all of her CLASSMATES. They are in a bare schoolroom. It’s freezing. The girls are all wearing thin clothing. They’re not allowed to shiver. They have to endure it. Natasha, and the other girls, are about eight to ten years old.

 

An older woman enters the room, a RED ROOM INSTRUCTOR. She pulls down a projector.

 

INSTRUCTOR

You may sit.

 

The girls all sit.

 

The instructor begins playing a series of videos. They’re American films, showing American lifestyles. As the video plays, the instructor begins talking about the culture. The girls can’t take notes - they have to have all of this memorized.

 

When the instructor isn’t looking, the girl next to Natasha passes her a tiny note. It says, in Russian,

 

IS THAT A MUSTACHE OR DID A CATERPILLAR DIE ON HER LIP?

 

Natasha smothers a grin, crumpling the note up and slipping it into her mouth. She chews and swallows, destroying the evidence.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Natasha blinks and is back in the present moment. One of the senators is talking about her.

SENATOR RUSH

 

This girl was brainwashed from a young age. Programmed. We’re supposed to believe that decades of that programming is supposed to have been overcome in just a few short years? If we look at the timeline of Miss Romanoff’s career, her time spent as an agent of the Soviets is more than three times that spent as an agent of SHIELD. And SHIELD, as we now know, was riddled with HYDRA agents!

 

Natasha closes her eyes and flashes back again.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM BEDROOMS - NIGHT

 

Young Natasha lies in bed, handcuffed to the bed frame.

 

YELENA

Psssst.

 

Natasha rolls over. It’s her friend from earlier - this is YELENA BELOVA, another Red Room trainee.

 

YELENA (CONT’D)

[In Russian] - You want to watch?

 

Natasha nods. Yelena produces a thin wire from between her teeth and picks the locks on her handcuffs. She passes the wire to Natasha, who does the same.

 

The two girls sneak out of the sparse bedrooms and down the hallway, then open a door into another part of the facility - one that is starkly different.

 

Here, everything is opulent and gorgeous. The two girls crouch at the top of a balcony and peer down as two dozen older girls practice ballet. Soft music plays.

 

MADAME B

[In Russian] - Remember. You are trained dancers with the Bolshoi Ballet.

 

The dancer’s faces are eerily blank.

 

YELENA

[In Russian] - Aren’t they beautiful? I can’t wait for us to start our Phase Two.

 

Natasha watches the dancers intently, studying them. She’s not captivated by them as Yelena is. She’s examining them.

 

One of the dancers falters. She tries to pick back up - she’s too tired. She collapses.

 

MADAME B

Keep dancing!

 

The other girls continue as though nothing has happened. Two armed guards appear as if out of thin air and pick up the collapsed girl. She stirs as they pick her up and realizes what has happened.

 

GIRL

No - no, please!

 

The guards carry her off as the girl starts to fight, screaming in panic.

 

GIRL (CONT’D)

Madame, please, it will not happen again, please!

 

She is dragged off. A moment later there is more screaming - this time from pain. There is begging for it to stop, please stop, I’ll do better... and the other girls continue dancing, going through the routine, their faces blank.

 

Yelena and Natasha look at each other, eyes wide.

 

YELENA

She did nothing wrong.

 

NATASHA

She was weak. We can’t ever be weak.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

And this report clearly states, by her own admission, that she was trained by the assassin responsible for various assassinations of key political figures, including quite possibly President Kennedy!

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. SHOOTING RANGE - DAY

 

Natasha, now about twelve, rapidly assembles a gun and fires into various targets, which are all far away. She hits them in the head every single time.

 

From a distance, Madame B and none other than BUCKY BARNES, the WINTER SOLDIER, watch her.

 

MADAME B

She is the best in her class. But she is nothing more than a hammer. Brute strength and determination. You must make her more.

 

Bucky nods.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. FOREST - DAY

 

We see a few montage-esque shots of Natasha being trained by Bucky - she crawls through the forest, tracking him, or being hunted by him. She learns the art of sniping. She fights him again, and again, and again, never winning but slowly working her way up to being his equal. We see her shivering in the cold in the forest, no food or coverage, surviving on what she can.

 

She is still only twelve, thirteen years old.

 

JUDGE

Miss Romanoff.

 

We flash back to the present.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

JUDGE

Miss Romanoff.

 

Natasha blinks.

 

NATASHA

Sir?

 

JUDGE

If you could please come to the witness stand.

 

Natasha does so. Someone approaches her with a Bible.

 

As the person begins having her recite the oath (do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but...) Natasha hears Madame B’s voice in her head.

 

MADAME B

Do you swear obedience in all things?

 

TEENAGE NATASHA

Yes.

 

MADAME B

Who do you swear to serve?

 

TEENAGE NATASHA

My handlers.

 

MADAME B

Will you give mercy?

 

TEENAGE NATASHA

No.

 

MADAME B

What will you give?

 

TEENAGE NATASHA

Loyalty in all things to my handlers alone.

 

The person finishes their oath and draws away. Natasha sits.

 

JUDGE

We will now hear testimony from Miss Natasha Romanoff. Aliases include Natalie Rushman and Natalia Romanova. Codename: Black Widow. Miss Romanoff, many people have spoken for you in the last few weeks. This is now your chance to speak for yourself.

 

There is a pause as Natasha gathers herself. She glances over at Pepper and Clint. Pepper nods encouragingly at her. Clint subtly signs “You got this” in ASL.

 

Natasha begins to speak.

 

NATASHA

I was taken as a young child and raised in a KGB training facility known as The Red Room. Its goal was to create female sleeper agents to infiltrate high society and governments within various countries with the intent of sowing chaos and gaining power for Russia.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. TRAINING AREA - DAY

 

Young Natasha and another girl are fighting viciously, surrounded by a circle of other girls. The girls are not cheering. They are simply watching silently.

 

Young Natasha triumphs. She looks up at her instructor, who nods. Young Natasha releases her opponent.

 

NATASHA V.O.

The first decade of my life was intense training in survival, intelligence, and combat.

 

We CUT TO Natasha and other girls learning codes and scribbling notes about the CIA and other agencies and practicing leaving messages for each other.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

We were shown no love. No support. It was tough, but it was fair. At least at first.

 

Natasha, aged thirteen, is walked back to Madame B by Bucky.

 

BUCKY

She’s ready.

 

NATASHA V.O.

Then Phase Two began.

 

Natasha and the other girls are drilled at the ballet bar.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

We were expected to learn art, music, dance, and other things to make us cultured and help us get close to our targets.

 

Natasha continues to dance as the bar as the other girls fade away and the room becomes dark. It is clear that she is continuing to practice after-hours.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

Those of us who couldn’t keep up were taken away. We never saw them again.

 

Natasha stops dancing and sits down, carefully undoing her ballet shoes. The shoes are completely worn through and filled with blood. Her feet are bloody messes from how much she’s been dancing. Natasha winces.

 

From somewhere we hear the sound of a girl screaming. Natasha grits her teeth, puts her shoes back on, and resumes her bar work.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

That was also when the conditioning began.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SCHOOLROOM - DAY

 

Natasha sits in a dark schoolroom in a chair as images flash in front of her. Various pads and such are hooked up to her to record her brain functions.

 

NATASHA V.O.

Up until then they had told us nothing about who we were or where we came from. Now they told us - their version.

 

Natasha is being conditioned to believe that she is a young dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet. She is shown people that she is led to believe are her mother and father.

 

As she is shown these images, other, lightning-fast subliminal messages appear - messages giving her orders and words that can activate her programming.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

Until the time came for our final exam.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SCHOOLROOM - DAY

 

Natasha, now about sixteen, is standing with the other girls. Madame B approaches them.

 

MADAME B

Today is the day of your final examination. If you pass, you will swear an oath to your country and will be given your first assignment. The first part of the final exam is a written test. You may begin now.

 

The girls all sit and begin to fill out the tests in front of them. Natasha flies through hers, as does Yelena. The two exchange small smiles and then stand, indicating they are finished with their exam.

 

A timer goes off. Two girls are still trying to finish the exam - all the other girls are standing. The two girls are escorted off by soldiers. These girls don’t bother fighting or crying. They know it won’t get them anywhere.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. TRAINING AREA - DAY

 

Natasha and the other girls stand in a line. Madame B points at Natasha, then Yelena.

 

MADAME B

Fight.

 

Natasha and Yelena look at each other. There is a moment of hesitation - they don’t want to fight each other - but they are conditioned to obey orders.

 

They step forward and face each other.

 

One of the other instructors blows a whistle. The two girls leap at each other.

 

It’s the classic Black Widow style of fighting that we’ve come to recognize - the balletic, acrobatic style Natasha has used in other films.

 

Natasha and Yelena at first appear to be evenly matched, and there is an old familiarity to their movements. They’re used to fighting each other. But as the fight continues, we start to see that Natasha is stronger and faster than Yelena. Yelena notices it as well. Her movements are growing increasingly desperate. Natasha takes advantage of this.

 

She strikes Yelena’s nose with the heel of her palm, causing Yelena’s nose to bleed and disorienting her. Natasha then flips, grabbing Yelena from behind and putting her in a headlock. Yelena struggles but can’t get out of the hold.

 

Natasha looks up at Madame B.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Kill her.

 

Natasha and Yelena both freeze.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Kill. Her.

 

Natasha tightens her grip on Yelena.

 

YELENA

Nat...

 

Natasha closes her eyes and twists.

 

There is the soft snapping sound as Yelena’s neck is broken.

 

Yelena slumps to the ground. Dead.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Natasha blinks rapidly as tears threaten to fall.

 

NATASHA

Sorry. Where was I?

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM - DAY

 

Natasha is taken into a room decorated all in red. Standing along the walls are the men and women in charge of the Red Room and the entire spy program in the KGB. With Natasha are about five other girls - the only ones who made it all the way through the final exams.

 

MADAME B

Ignore those watching. In a mission, you focus only on what needs to be done.

 

She nods at an attendant, who exits and comes back later with a man tied to a wheelchair. The attendant wheels the chair into the center of the room.

 

Those who have seen Age of Ultron will recognize this man as the one from Natasha’s flashback while talking to Banner. The man is gagged but he stares at Natasha, his eyes pleading.

 

Madame B hands Natasha a gun.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Execute him.

 

Natasha strides forward and raises the gun. Her hands don’t shake.

 

Everyone watches. Natasha cocks the gun.

 

She stares at the man. Does she know that this is the face that will haunt her nightmares?

 

Unlike with Yelena, Natasha does not need to be told twice. She fires.

 

The man is hit right between the eyes and slumps forward, dead. He is carried out by the attendants. Madame B gestures for Natasha to hand her the gun and step aside, which Natasha does. The next girl steps forward.

 

This time a different person is wheeled in - a young boy.

 

Madame B hands the girl the gun and gestures in a “go on” motion.

 

The girl steps forward and raises the gun. Her hand trembles.

 

The girl blinks rapidly. Cocks the gun. Her hands still shake.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Petra.

 

The girl, Petra, still hasn’t fired the gun.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Here you have an example of an asset who is resisting her training. This happens from time to time.

 

The attendants start to move towards Petra, but Madame B holds up a hand.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

This is different from what we consider our failures. The strength to resist is a strength that we must re-direct, not stifle.

 

She goes up to Petra and stands behind her, placing her hands on Petra’s shoulders. She leans in and whispers to Petra.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Diamonds. Manhattan. Batory. Ricin.

 

Petra straightens up, her face going blank. Her hands stop shaking. She’s been conditioned to respond to this phrase, to be the good little agent.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Kill him.

 

Petra fires, killing the boy instantly.

 

Natasha watches it all, struggling to hide her horror as she realizes that she has been conditioned, brainwashed - that Madame B and the others could control her at any moment and she would have no choice.

 

Madame B moves Petra aside and signals for the next girl to come up. Petra remains a machine. No emotion.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

As you can see, we have planned for every contingency. Our girls are ready.

 

Natasha looks down at her hands. They’re shaking. She balls them up into fists and wills them to still.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

And did that training not include personal instruction by Sergeant Barnes, also known as the Winter Soldier?

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Objection, your Honor, we have no conclusive evidence of this and Miss Romanoff has not been able to recover those memories during her therapy, if she even had those memories in the first place.

 

SENATOR RUSH

Your Honor, the Winter Soldier has yet to be caught and when he is he will be facing charges for numerous assassinations. He is HYDRA’s favorite attack dog. If she truly was trained by him, as some of SHIELD’s records taken from the Red Room by Agent Barton seem to indicate-

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

We have no conclusive evidence and she honestly cannot recall-

 

SENATOR RUSH

How do you, or any of us, know she’s not lying to us-

 

Natasha’s hands start shaking and she flashes back to...

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. TRAINING AREA - DAY

 

Madame B and BUCKY BARNES, the WINTER SOLDIER, stand watching the girls, including Yelena, Natasha, and Petra, practice fighting in the training area. Some are throwing knives, others are sparring, others are practicing gymnastics.

 

BUCKY

Which is the one you want me to train?

 

Madame B indicates Natasha, who is practicing flips on the bars.

 

MADAME B

She is our most focused candidate. I wish for you to push her.

 

BUCKY

What’s the point if you’ll be wiping her memory afterwards?

 

MADAME B

The training will still be there. The brain forgets. The body doesn’t.

 

BUCKY

When a partnership with HYDRA was suggested, this was not what I thought you’d have in mind.

 

MADAME B

You have your soldiers. We need ours.

 

Young Natasha flips off the bars, landing neatly on the ground. She turns and looks across at Madame B and Bucky. The scene blurs before her and we get flashes - Natasha huddled on the ground in a forest, Natasha sparring with the Winter Soldier, Natasha in a tree, sniping - but they whirl around too quickly and are blurred, indistinct...

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Natasha blinks, finding herself in the present day. She balls her shaking hands up into fists and tries to get them to stop.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Why don’t you tell us about your first mission.

 

Natasha clears her throat.

 

Over in their seats, Pepper leans in to Clint.

 

PEPPER

She’s doing well.

 

Clint notices that Natasha’s hands are no longer resting on the lip of the witness box but are in her lap, where those watching can’t see them.

 

His jaw clenches. He’s the only one who can tell how much this is hurting her.

 

NATASHA

I was approximately sixteen-

 

SENATOR RUSH

Approximately?

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Objection, your honor, we have gone over this, Miss Romanoff does not have an accurate birth certificate due to the machinations of the Red Room. This was detailed specifically when we went over the records two weeks ago, if the court stenographer would care to go back that far.

 

JUDGE

Objection sustained. Miss Romanoff, please continue.

 

NATASHA

I was dispatched to do a reconnaissance mission. We were all given similar assignments for our first missions. They wanted us to observe and report to see how well we could handle being out in the field.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. MILITARY BASE - DAY

 

NATASHA V.O.

My mission got... complicated.

 

We see sixteen-year-old Natasha, fresh out of the Red Room, wearing a cleaning uniform. She is cleaning down the offices of the officers in the military base. She finds some papers stashed underneath a mattress and begins reading them. With her training, each page is memorized, held locked tight in her memory. She doesn’t need to take notes.

 

OFFICER

What are you doing?

 

Natasha turns. The OFFICER this room belongs to is standing in the doorway. She has two choices: kill him or seduce him.

 

Killing him would only draw suspicion and attention to herself. That leaves only one other option.

 

Natasha gives him a shy smile. This officer is fairly young, and pretty good looking. He’s not going to find it too suspicious that a young girl has taken an interest in him.

 

Natasha looks up at him through her eyelashes.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

Officer Bogdanow.

OFFICER

You’re the new girl.

 

Natasha nods. The papers are still held behind her back.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

Quite new. I’m still... learning how things work.

 

Her eyes drop down and then back up to his. This is very uncomfortable for the audience - this girl is only sixteen, yet she acts as though she is already practiced at seducing people. It’s sickening.

 

YOUNG NATASHA (CONT’D)

Perhaps you could help... show me?

 

She gives him a smile - the most earnest, sweet smile you’ve ever seen. No way this girl’s a spy. Nope.

 

OFFICER

I... I suppose I could...

 

Young Natasha approaches him, getting in close. We see that this officer is torn. He clearly wants her, but he also knows it wouldn’t be right.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

You’re so... young. Not like the other men in charge here.

 

OFFICER

I was, uh, recently promoted.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

I heard it was because you were so clever.

 

OFFICER

S-sure. Um. Y’know, I made a couple formulas, uh...

 

Natasha has now stepped closer and put her hand on his belt.

 

OFFICER (CONT’D)

Uh, what are, um...

 

YOUNG NATASHA

You said you would show me how things work.

 

She sounds incredibly earnest. The officer closes his eyes. He’s going to Hell for this.

 

He kisses her, grabbing her and walking backwards with her towards the bed.

 

NATASHA V.O.

I made contact with my handlers and was told to remain on-site and maintain a relationship with the target in order to continue to gather information on the experimental weapons he was in charge of running.

 

We are now in nicer quarters - the officer has been promoted. We see the officer kissing Natasha goodbye before he heads out. Natasha is now wearing nice lingerie and is lying on his bed. She is clearly now his kept mistress.

 

The moment he leaves, Natasha goes over to a painting and pulls it away to reveal a wall safe. She punches in the combination and pulls out the papers inside, reading and memorizing them. She then sits down and begins writing a letter, copying information from the papers.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. POST OFFICE - DAY

 

Young Natasha walks up to the counter and hands over the letter.

 

MAIL CLERK

To your mother?

 

Natasha nods, looking shy and sweet.

 

MAIL CLERK (CONT’D)

I wish my daughter was as dutiful as you. I actually have something for you - a birthday present from your uncle. He apologizes for sending it late.

 

Natasha picks up the package, thanks the mail clerk, and leaves.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. OFFICER’S BEDROOM - DAY

 

NATASHA V.O.

And then the time came to remove him. What we called, exterminating an enemy asset.

 

Young Natasha opens the package. Inside is a small gas canister. It comes with a note. Natasha reads it. The note reads:

 

PROTOTYPE BASED ON NOTES YOU SENT. STAGE IT AS AN ACCIDENT.

 

Natasha burns the note, then dumps the ashes into a cigarette ashtray. She takes the gas canister and puts it inside of a shoe box, taking the shoes out and lining them up with the others in her closet and putting the shoe box in the back with some others.

 

The officer comes in. He groans.

 

OFFICER

You won’t believe what those idiots think passes for progress...

 

He takes off his shoes and makes his way to the bathroom, stripping as he goes. There is the sound of water running. Natasha goes over to his clothes and hangs them up. As she does so, she checks his pockets for information.

 

The water shuts off. Natasha stuffs the notes back into his pockets and hangs up his clothes and puts away his shoes. The officer emerges from the bathroom, wearing a towel. He walks over to the bed and sits down, watching as Natasha puts his things in order.

 

OFFICER (CONT’D)

I’ve had a tough day. I have to go back to the lab in a couple hours, finish some things. But I needed to take a break first. Let off steam. You know?

 

Natasha knows that tone of voice. She still has her back to him and the camera shows us her face - the pure, burning anger on it. Then she contains herself, slips the mask back on.

Natasha looks at him. He puts his hand on his thigh.

 

Natasha walks over, sinking to her knees.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. MILITARY LAB - EVENING

 

The officer is working in the lab, muttering, trying to figure things out. Natasha watches him from the window, cloaked in shadow.

 

There is the sound of the door opening. The officer turns and Natasha walks in, carrying a tray of food.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

You never eat enough.

 

She sets the tray down. The officer sighs, moving to pick up the sandwich.

 

Natasha grabs the back of his hair, slamming his face down onto the counter. The officer stumbles back, reeling. Natasha spins him around, producing the canister. She picks up a small gas mask from the counter, hooking it to the canister, and pins the officer down, holding the gas mask to his nose and mouth.

 

The officer struggles but Natasha puts him in a choke hold, same as she did with Yelena.

We get a flash - suddenly it IS Yelena in Natasha’s grasp, Yelena grabbing at her, Yelena looking at her silently with the gas mask on...

 

Natasha blinks and Yelena is gone. It’s the officer.

 

Natasha keeps the gas mask on him as he slowly begins to choke and have a seizure. His body shakes and his skin under the mask starts to burn. He begins screaming, but his screams are muffled.

 

Natasha keeps holding him until he finally dies. Then she positions his body so that he’s slumped over his work, places the canister in his hand, and opens the lid just enough so that it looks like it leaked out.

 

She starts to leave, pauses... walks back, grabs the sandwich, and then walks out, eating it.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SCIENTIFIC FACILITY - DAY

 

NATASHA V.O.

After that, they gave me more difficult jobs. Stealing research or destroying facilities was simple enough.

 

Twenty-year-old Natasha hangs upside-down from the ceiling in a dark corner, much like her namesake. She waits until a guard passes underneath her and then drops down, covering his mouth as she applies her Widow’s Bite to him, poisoning him and killing him immediately.

 

She walks down the corridor, only to be met by three other guards.

 

Natasha grins.

 

The guards come at her and she takes them down, one, two, three. They’re no match for her at hand-to-hand combat.

 

Natasha enters the room that the men were guarding. It’s full of vials. Natasha takes several samples, putting them in special containers in her belt. She then places a small bomb on the underside of a desk.

 

We CUT TO Natasha leaving the facility as it blows up.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - EVENING

 

NATASHA V.O.

To ensure that we didn’t give any information if we were caught, we were brainwashed, led to believe a different life for ourselves...

 

Natasha is being interrogated by the police.

 

NATASHA

I was a young dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet, given up by my mother when I was five.

 

NATASHA V.O.

...until we returned.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM - DAY

 

Natasha returns to the Red Room, where she is greeted by Madame B.

 

MADAME B

Kirov.

 

Natasha blinks, memories flooding back to her.

 

NATASHA V.O.

But they never gave us everything.

 

The Winter Soldier walks by. He and Natasha do not recognize each other, each brainwashed to forget the memory of him training her.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

They would even wipe the knowledge of our missions from us.

 

Natasha is reviewing files on various military scientists. She comes across the officer she killed. She holds up his picture to Madame B.

 

NATASHA

It says here one of our agents assassinated him. Was it Petra?

 

Madame B smiles softly, evilly. Natasha gets a cold feeling in her stomach.

 

NATASHA V.O.

I became their best. Especially at assassinations requiring a more intimate touch.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. DIPLOMAT’S BALL - EVENING

 

Natasha, now 23 and dressed to the nines, is drinking some champagne at an elegant ball. Many important and powerful people are here. One of them, a FRENCH DIPLOMAT, approaches Natasha.

 

DIPLOMAT

[In French] - Pardon my boldness, but I didn’t think a woman as beautiful as yourself should be left alone and bored.

 

NATASHA

[In French] - I appreciate your boldness.

 

She offers her hand.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

Natalie.

 

The diplomat takes her hand and kisses it. Natasha smiles at him - he’s in her web now.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. DIPLOMAT’S HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha finishes getting dressed, fixing her hair and makeup. She looks at herself in the mirror. She is suddenly overcome - who is she? What is she doing?

 

NATASHA

Kirov.

 

Nothing happens. No memories come flooding back.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

[In Russian] - How come it works when they do it?

 

She sighs and gathers her purse and shoes. As she leaves the hotel room, the camera shows us what until now Natasha’s body has been blocking: the dead diplomat on the bed.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM - DAY

 

Natasha follows alongside Madame B.

 

MADAME B

Are you doubting your commitment to your homeland?

 

NATASHA

Of course not. I only wish to understand.

 

MADAME B

It is not your job to understand. You are the fist, the hand that strikes and crushes as needed. The hand does what the head tells it to do. You are not the head. You are the hand. You do as you are told.

 

NATASHA

Yes, Madame.

 

Madame B continues on her way while Natasha stops, staring after her, clearly dismissed.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR

What about the hospital?

 

There are murmurs from the crowd. Natasha hears screams in her head. She clenches her fist, then forces herself to relax.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Miss Romanoff, if you would please detail the events that led up to your breaking away from your handlers.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

 

NATASHA V.O.

I had been tasked with assassinating the head of one of the Russian mob families in order to destabilize the black market.

 

Natasha, now 25 and in a nurse’s uniform, walks down the hallway of the hospital.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

I couldn’t get close to him. His guards even accompanied him to have his appendix out.

 

Natasha enters a supply closet. From there, she enters the ventilation system in the hospital. She crawls along until she gets to the vents that lead into the hallway outside of the mafia boss’s room.

 

Natasha carefully places a bomb there. She then begins crawling back out.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

My orders were absolute: do whatever necessary. So I did.

 

Natasha drops back down from the vent into the supply closet, puts her nurse’s uniform back on, and exits the closet.

 

As she walks down the hospital hallway, we hear someone saying in voice over, “Playback the recordings.”

 

We hear screams and crying - it’s children. Nurses begging for someone to hurry, it’s an emergency, get the fire trucks, there are still children inside...

 

Natasha continues to walk down the hallway. There is fire crackling, and the hallway she’s in begins to burn. The screams intensify. Natasha keeps walking, showing no reaction to the fire and death around her. Bodies stumble around in the smoke. The smoke is filling the entire screen...

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S RED ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha wakes up from the nightmare. She’s in her assigned quarters in the Red Room. She touches her face - she’s been crying.

 

She gets up and crosses over to the sink, washing her face with cold water. She pats her face dry.

 

There is a knock at the door. Natasha opens it to find an attendant standing there.

 

ATTENDANT

Madame wants you.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM HALLWAY - NIGHT

 

Natasha follows the attendant through the corridors and is met by Madame B.

 

MADAME B

Ofelia reported you were crying.

 

NATASHA

Ofelia reports others to distract from her own failures.

 

MADAME B

I will not have in-fighting. Competition was for when you were children. Now...

 

She opens a door, in which is a chair and a screen. Natasha tries not to show her fear.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

Let us rid you of those pesky memories, hmm?

 

The screams in Natasha’s head start up again as we cut to...

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Natasha finds herself back in the present. Everyone is yelling as the recordings of the hospital fire are running.

 

CLINT

For God’s sake, turn it off!

 

Natasha struggles to keep her face blank. She looks straight ahead and doesn’t move.

 

PEPPER

SILENCE!

 

Everyone stops yelling and looks at Pepper. We can see why this woman is in charge of a massive company and makes Tony Stark cower. This is the Pepper Potts that picked up a massive metal pipe and beat a supervillain with it.

 

PEPPER (CONT’D)

Turn those recordings off.

 

Someone shuts off the recordings.

 

PEPPER (CONT’D)

Miss Romanoff.

 

Everyone looks back at Natasha.

 

NATASHA

I... was going on a lot of missions. I don’t know if this happened to other Red Room agents, but I found that the memories couldn’t be suppressed.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S RED ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha wakes up from another nightmare. She’s covered in sweat, her chest heaving. She reaches over to the nightstand, hands shaking, and grabs a bottle of pills. She takes a couple.

 

NATASHA V.O.

At least one agent fled and went rogue, calling herself Viper. She eventually joined HYDRA.

 

Natasha puts on makeup to cover the bags under her eyes. She picks up some files and flips them open - they detail her next mark, another government man.

 

NATASHA V.O. (CONT’D)

I needed a way out, but I couldn’t see one.

 

Natasha has a flashback of strangling the French diplomat. She drops the files.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. APARTMENT - EVENING

 

We see Natasha with the same diplomat that we saw her with in Clint’s flashback in Age of Ultron. This is the same scene but from Natasha’s perspective.

 

Natasha follows the diplomat into his apartment. She pauses at a table underneath the window. There is a picture of the diplomat with two children, smiling. They’re somewhere in Africa.

 

Natasha takes in a shuddering breath, the guilt hitting her.

 

Through his scope, we see Hawkeye watching her. He sees the look of guilt on her face.

 

NATASHA V.O.

And then... I got my chance.

 

Natasha puts the photo down and goes to follow the diplomat. The diplomat turns, offering Natasha a glass of wine.

 

Natasha accepts, smiling.

 

They clink their glasses. There is a knock on the door.

 

Natasha turns as the diplomat sets his glass of wine down to go answer the door. Natasha quickly takes out her lipstick and twists the bottom of it, revealing a second opening holding a small amount of powder. Natasha tips the powder into the diplomat’s wine.

 

The diplomat opens the door. It’s a man. They talk in low voices but we can’t see them.

 

DIPLOMAT

It’s for you.

 

Natasha straightens, immediately on alert. She puts the lipstick back in her bag and goes to the door.

 

It’s Hawkeye.

 

Natasha steps out into the hallway, closing the door behind her. The moment she does, she strikes at him.

 

Hawkeye dodges, and the game is on.

 

The two of them strike at each other again and again, kicking, jumping, dodging, punching. Natasha is a whirlwind and Hawkeye can barely keep up.

 

HAWKEYE

Jesus Christ woman-

 

He dodges one of her spin kicks.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

If you would just listen to me for two seconds!

 

Her next punch comes. Hawkeye grabs it, spins her, and trips her up, pinning her to the floor.

Natasha struggles, but he’s got her face down with her arm behind her back and his full weight on top of her.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

Now I know who you are and what your orders are. I assume you know who I am and what my orders are.

 

Natasha rears back, headbutting him. Hawkeye’s grip is loosened and she rolls them, getting on top of him and seizing his neck in her hands, choking him.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

I’m... here... to... help...

 

NATASHA

Help me kill him? Want a taste of the dark side?

 

Hawkeye manages to punch her in the side of the head. Natasha is disoriented. This gives Hawkeye the chance to regain his breath.

 

HAWKEYE

I can help you.

 

Natasha looks at him. For the first time, we see pain in her eyes.

 

NATASHA

Nobody can help me.

 

From inside the room comes the sound of the diplomat dying - he has drunk the wine. Natasha gets up and flees as Hawkeye struggles to his feet. Hawkeye watches her go, tempted to follow... but then turns and bursts into the hotel room to help the diplomat.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM - DAY

 

Natasha is brought to Madame B, who gently takes Natasha’s chin and tilts it up to look her in the eye.

 

MADAME B

I think it’s time for another rehabilitation session.

 

Natasha resists a bit as the attendants start to drag her.

 

NATASHA

I don’t need it.

 

The more she resists, the more the attendants try to drag her.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

I don’t need it! I don’t need it!

 

MADAME B

You should have killed that SHIELD agent. Your mark nearly lived because of him.

 

NATASHA

You can’t make me!

 

She fights off the attendants, ramming her elbow into one of their faces, then spinning and kicking them into the wall. The attendants come at her again but Natasha is ready - they’re no match for her.

 

Madame B steps forward. Natasha turns and is not at all prepared for her. Madame B is in her sixties now but holy shit, she’s a formidable fighter. This is surprising even to Natasha. Madame B has never seemed the type to know how to fight. Yet here she is, beating the shit out of Natasha.

 

Madame B pins Natasha to the wall, her forearm at Natasha’s throat. She waves at an attendant, who scrambles to his feet and passes Madame B a syringe. Madame B injects Natasha with it. Natasha falls unconscious.

 

MADAME B

Intensive reprogramming. Now.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM HALLWAY - NIGHT

 

Natasha, sweaty and pale with dark circles under her eyes, lies on a gurney being wheeled down a hallway. She has needle marks all over and is strapped down.

 

NATASHA

(Mumbling) - Kirov, Kirov, Kirov...

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S RED ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha lies curled up in bed. She’s completely drained. She stares blankly at the wall.

The door to her room opens and several blurry figures enter. Natasha doesn’t turn to look at them.

 

MADAME B

Sit up.

 

Natasha does so. Her face is horribly blank.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

You have your new assignment.

 

Natasha stands and turns to face them. We see that it is Madame B and a couple attendants.

Natasha holds out her hand, her face still blank. Madame B hands her a folder. Natasha flips it open.

 

Inside is a picture of Hawkeye, along with his information. Natasha’s face remains blank. She has no clue who he is.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

The usual - assassination.

 

Natasha looks up, flipping the folder shut.

 

NATASHA

Yes, Madame.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT

 

Hawkeye is perched on a rooftop, watching someone. He’s clearly on another mission.

 

Natasha lands silently across the roof from him. She watches him.

 

She pulls a knife from her belt. Raises it...

 

Hesitates.

 

Natasha looks down at her hands. They’re shaking. She doesn’t understand why. Why can’t she kill this person?

 

She stands up and walks over silently. She’ll just get in closer. That’s it.

 

When she is about ten feet away, Hawkeye speaks.

 

HAWKEYE

I was wondering if you’d show up again.

 

He turns to look at her. Natasha is frozen.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

Here, let me introduce myself.

 

He stands, holds out his hand.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

I’m Clint Barton. You probably know me as Hawkeye. SHIELD agent. Marksman. Professional smart mouth.

 

Natasha keeps staring at him. She needs to kill him - but something is stopping her.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

You okay?

 

Natasha takes his hand as if to shake it... and then flips him. Hawkeye lands on his back - hard.

Natasha speaks. Each word is physically painful.

 

NATASHA

H-help... me...

 

Her programming takes over again and she begins to attack Hawkeye in earnest, aiming to kill him. Hawkeye jumps up, defending himself.

 

It’s like a dark mirror of their fight in the first Avengers film when Hawkeye was under mind control. Only this time it is Natasha, and she’s trying desperately to break free.

 

HAWKEYE

If... you... want... my... help... why... are... you... Trying to kill me!?

 

Natasha tries to stab him and he catches her arm, twisting it and forcing her to drop the knife. Natasha catches him in the back of the neck, grabbing him.

 

They’re in a stalemate, arms locked, staring at each other.

 

Hawkeye’s face suddenly morphs into Yelena’s. Natasha stares at her. She should recognize this person but... she doesn’t.

 

NATASHA

Who are you?

 

HAWKEYE

I told you-

 

NATASHA

(Desperate) - WHO ARE YOU?

 

Yelena morphs into the man Natasha shot. Blood slides down his face from the gunshot wound between his eyes.

 

Natasha gets out of Hawkeye’s grip, striking at him wildly. Hawkeye tries to defend himself.

 

HAWKEYE

It’s okay, it’s okay! I’m here to help you, let me help you!

 

Natasha stops, putting her hands to her head. She’s panting, unable to focus.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

Look, I don’t know what they did to you. But I know that it’s wrong. I know that you don’t want to follow your orders. Let me help you. I can help you.

 

NATASHA

And I can become the lackey of America instead of Russia.

 

HAWKEYE

No, no, I promise. I promise, it’s not like that. You can leave SHIELD at any time. No one is going to force you to do anything.

 

Natasha stares at him. She’s so desperate and unsure. She’s drowning and needs a life jacket.

 

HAWKEYE (CONT’D)

You don’t even have to join SHIELD. I’ll help you get free. You don’t even have to join if you don’t want to.

 

Natasha nods.

 

NATASHA

Okay.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Clint now stands in the witness box.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

And you agree with Miss Romanoff’s statements?

 

CLINT

Yes sir.

 

SENATOR RUSH

And how was it that you came to the conclusion that it was worth the risk to turn her?

 

CLINT

Sir?

 

SENATOR RUSH

Surely SHIELD objected to you putting yourself on the line and abandoning your other assignments to work on recruiting a dangerous operative that you had been assigned to kill.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

 

Clint leads Natasha into his hotel room.

 

CLINT

There’s, uh, only one bed, sorry.

 

NATASHA

I don’t mind sharing.

 

CLINT

Your handlers are going to figure out you’re gone before long. We need to be out of the country by then. I’m going to place a call.

 

Natasha nods. Clint goes out to the hotel balcony, calling someone. While he is gone, Natasha begins rifling through his things.

 

She finds his bows and arrows, all kinds. There’s a worn copy of Dune, because Clint Barton is a fucking nerd, and various candy wrappers, along with the book Video Games for Dummies. Inside of this book is a photograph. Natasha takes it out and looks at it.

 

It’s a picture of two boys standing in a circus tent of some kind. Behind them are various targets filled with arrows.

 

Natasha flips the card over. On the back it reads, CLINT AND BARNEY, ‘81.

 

Natasha slips the photo back into the book as she hears Clint’s voice rise.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

C’mon, when have I ever called for an extraction before, huh?

 

Natasha watches him. He’s agitated.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

No, I’m not in danger. Look, look, listen, will you - yeah, sure, get Fury on the phone, I’ll talk to him myself. Yes it’s that important!

 

Natasha realizes that he’s putting his job on the line for her.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Look, just... okay, yes, yes, I understand. Just get us out of here. I’ll accept the consequences. Yes. Yes, for two of us.

 

He turns and sees that Natasha is watching him. He knows that she knows what he’s risking for her. They just stare at each other for a moment, both embarrassed and unsure of each other.

The person on the other end of the phone says something, and Clint snaps to attention.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Yeah, of course. No problem. See you soon. Tell Melinda I said hi. Uh-huh.

 

He hangs up and enters the room again. Natasha continues to watch him.

 

Clint sets his alarm for vibrate and sticks it under his pillow so the vibrations will wake him up.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

We have six hours. You should probably get some sleep.

 

He goes over to the bathroom, turning the light on. He takes his hearing aids out and sets them on the counter. Natasha watches.

 

When Clint turns back, Natasha is still staring at him.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I got in a fight with a psycho clown.

 

He is clearly joking. Natasha doesn’t respond. Clint sighs, climbs into bed.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

You need sleep.

 

Natasha obligingly lies down on the other side of the bed. Clint goes to sleep but Natasha stares up into the darkness.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. AIRSTRIP - DAY

 

Clint and Natasha disembark from a plane on the tarmac. PHIL COULSON, Clint’s handler and one of the higher ups in SHIELD, greets them.

 

Coulson sees Natasha and whips off his sunglasses.

 

COULSON

Barton...

 

CLINT

Hiya.

 

Coulson points at Natasha.

 

COULSON

Don’t tell me that’s who I think it is.

 

CLINT

Don’t talk about my French mail order bride like that.

 

Natasha speaks in flawless French.

 

NATASHA

Je m’appelle Natalie.

 

Coulson gives them both a ‘you’re fooling nobody’ look.

 

COULSON

Great. She’s got your sense of humor. And here I was thinking, if only I had TWO versions of Clint in my life, it’s not like I get enough bad jokes and heart attacks as it is.

 

CLINT

Geez, what crawled up your ass? You had to go babysit Stark again?

 

NATASHA

Stark? Tony Stark?

 

COULSON

Thank you for dropping sensitive information in front of the RUSSIAN SPY!

 

CLINT

She is DEFECTING.

 

Coulson stares at Natasha.

 

COULSON

Defecting.

 

Natasha stares at him, arching an eyebrow.

 

COULSON (CONT’D)

We’ll see about that.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM - DAY

 

Clint stands in an observation room with Coulson, watching MARIA HILL interrogating Natasha. We can’t hear what the two women are saying, it’s muffled.

 

CLINT

I told you, she’s serious.

 

COULSON

This wouldn’t be the first time she’s suckered a guy into getting her what she wants.

 

CLINT

Trust me, I’m well on my guard.

 

There is an awkward pause. Coulson has clearly stepped on a nerve.

 

COULSON

I wasn’t trying to reference-

 

CLINT

I know. I’m sorry. It’s just...

 

He clears his throat and falls silent.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Phil, I saw it in her eyes. She’s trapped there. God knows what they do to their agents over there. Once you and Fury gave me the chance to get out of a life I didn’t want. I want to do the same for her.

 

Coulson nods.

 

COULSON

I get that. I do. But we have to be careful. You’ve got a good heart, Clint. The sad thing is that people will take advantage of it.

 

CLINT

Real optimistic, Phil.

 

Maria Hill stands up and knocks on the glass.

 

COULSON

That’s our cue.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY

 

Coulson and Clint enter the interrogation room. Natasha is sitting at the table. Hill is standing with her arms folded.

 

HILL

Barton, take her to her quarters. I’ve cleared her for now but Fury will want to take a look for himself.

 

CLINT

I want her on Delta Team with me.

 

HILL

That’s up to Fury. But trust me, if I have to say anything about it, that’s exactly where she’ll be. You brought her here, you get to babysit her.

 

Hill and Coulson exit, leaving Clint with Natasha. As soon as the door closes behind them, Coulson looks at Hill.

 

COULSON

She didn’t give you anything?

 

HILL

She told me everything she knew.

 

COULSON

Then what’s the problem?

 

HILL

You and I both know a spy never tells everything they know.

 

COULSON

We’ll find out if and what she’s hiding.

 

HILL

But how many people will die before that?

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. DELTA SQUAD APARTMENT - EVENING

 

Clint opens the door to the apartment shared by the members of Delta Squad, the best of the best of SHIELD’s field agents. There’s a living room and kitchen area with a gym and stairs leading up to the bedrooms.

 

CLINT

We’re the only ones here for now. Rumlow’s on a mission in Africa, Johnson’s on leave, and Phil won’t tell me where Goldstein is. Anyway. You can have the room next to mine, it’s been empty since we got the place.

 

Natasha nods, looking around.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I’m hungry, you want anything?

 

He heads over the fridge. After a moment, Natasha speaks.

 

NATASHA

They don’t believe me.

 

CLINT

Of course they do. It’s just their job to be cautious.

 

NATASHA

Don’t patronize me. They think I’m here to infiltrate them.

 

CLINT

...yes. Yes, that’s what they think. But we’re going to prove them wrong.

 

NATASHA

‘We’?

 

CLINT

Sure. I’m with you on this.

 

NATASHA

Because it’s your neck if I turn out to be a double agent.

 

CLINT

No, because you asked me for help and I’m doing that. Helping you.

 

Natasha walks over, leaning on the counter.

 

NATASHA

Why?

 

Clint pauses, closing the fridge door.

 

CLINT

Because I was once stuck too.

 

He looks at her.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Is it really so crazy to think that someone might be willing to help somebody else?

 

NATASHA

Where I come from, you help someone else, they die anyway. There is no room for the weak.

 

CLINT

Well where I come from, working together makes you stronger.

 

Natasha contemplates this as Clint opens the fridge again.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

You know what, fuck it.

 

He closes the fridge, again.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

You’re in the United States of America. Land of the fat. We’re getting you a proper goddamn hot dog.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. DELTA LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

 

It’s later at night and Clint and Natasha are sitting on the couch. Wrappers, soda, fries, etc are scattered around them, as are several beers. Natasha is, for the first time, being carefree and goofing off. Clint is surprised but delighted by this side of her.

 

NATASHA

This is crap!

 

She takes another gulp of beer.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

How is someone supposed to get drunk off of this!?

 

Clint laughs.

 

CLINT

Okay. Okay. So, which is better: the pizza, the hot dog, or the burger?

 

Natasha frowns, thinking very seriously about this. She’s playing along.

 

NATASHA

Hot dog.

 

CLINT

Girl after my own heart. Wait until you get some proper In-n-Out though.

 

NATASHA

In-n-Out?

 

CLINT

It’s a burger chain out west. Best burgers and fries, I swear on my arrows.

 

NATASHA

How many kinds of arrows do you have?

 

Clint counts off on his fingers. He’s slightly tipsy.

 

CLINT

Let’s see. Um, there’s the exploding ones, those are a classic. Electric shock arrows that work like a taser. Gas arrows - those each have something different, like knockout gas, y’know, in a small canister. The impact of the arrow hitting its target sets off pressure that allows the gas to leak out. Poison arrows, those are good. Oh, and sonic arrows. That’s how I...

 

He gestures at his ears.

 

NATASHA

One of your own arrows?

 

Clint nods.

 

CLINT

I was with another member of Delta Squad, up against this psycho who was trying out new mind control technology. He used it on us and I got free just long enough to set off a sonic arrow. It disrupted the mind control device but it also blew out my eardrums. Goodbye perfect pitch, hello hearing aids.

 

NATASHA

I’m... sorry.

 

It’s the first time she’s said those words. They sound foreign on her tongue.

 

CLINT

Naaaaah, don’t worry about it. It means I can tune out the idiots whenever I want to.

 

He grins at her, but it’s clear he’s partially putting on a brave face.

 

Natasha brandishes an empty beer bottle.

 

NATASHA

And here I thought it was drinking too much of this wheat tea.

 

Clint laughs, delighted.

 

CLINT

Did you just make a joke!? Hey everybody! One of the Black Widows made a joke!

 

Despite her comments about beer, Natasha is apparently a bit tipsy as well.

 

NATASHA

One of? No. No no no. I am THE Black Widow. Best of the best.

 

CLINT

Best of the best, huh?

 

NATASHA

I was top of my class.

 

CLINT

Oh yeah? What class was that? Most Snobby About Alcohol?

 

NATASHA

It was all of my classes, thank you.

 

There is the sound of the door opening and RUMLOW, Delta Squad agent and secret double agent for HYDRA, enters. He’s clearly exhausted from his mission and trip, but he snaps to attention when he sees who Clint is with.

 

RUMLOW

Barton.

 

CLINT

Heeeeey, R!

 

He waves, grinning.

 

RUMLOW

Barton, what is she doing here.

 

Clint stumbles to his feet. He’s tipsier than he thought he was.

 

CLINT

Right, introductions. Natasha, this is Agent Brock Rumlow of Delta Squad. R, this is Natasha Romanoff, THE Black Widow, formerly of the KGB but now a member of Delta Squad.

 

Natasha is uncomfortable and stiff. She can tell that Rumlow doesn’t trust her.

 

RUMLOW

Right. Didn’t know we were that desperate for recruits.

 

He goes up the stairs to his room.

 

CLINT

Ignore him. He’s the prickly type. Trust me, there’s no better person to have at your back on a mission.

 

Natasha, however, has been effectively reminded of who and what she is. She begins cleaning up.

 

NATASHA

It’s late anyway. I should get to bed.

 

CLINT

What? No, c’mon, Natasha, don’t let him spoil the fun. I was just finding out there’s a human being underneath all that sexy super spy stuff!

 

Natasha ignores him and heads up to her room. Clint collapses back against the couch with a sigh.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. CLINT’S BEDROOM - NIGHT

 

It’s around two in the morning and Clint is asleep in his bed. It’s dark. Suddenly there is the sound of glass shattering.

 

Clint’s eyes fly open.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

 

Clint creeps down the stairs, bow and arrow in hand. He stops when he sees what’s going on.

Natasha is sitting on the floor, her back against the cabinets. An empty bottle of wine is next to her. Various dishes have been thrown against the wall and broken. There is spilled wine on the floor. Natasha has a shard of glass in her hand and there’s blood on her wrists and hands.

 

CLINT

(Softly) - Shit.

 

He hastily puts down the bow and arrow and crosses over to her.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Natasha?

 

Natasha stares into nothing. When she speaks, we hear her native Russian accent.

 

NATASHA

The first man I ever slept with was a pig.

 

She sniffs.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

The first man I slept with on a mission, I mean. The first man I ever slept with was an attendant. It was a course.

(mockingly)

Seduction 101.

 

She picks up a wine glass and throws it. It crashes against the wall. She sniffs again. Her eyes are puffy and Clint realizes she’s been crying.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

He didn’t find it suspicious that a sixteen-year-old maid would want to just open her legs for him and become his mistress, oh no. Giving me lingerie and jewelry and keeping me like a secret in his room all day, that was all women wanted, right?

 

Clint gently removes the empty wine bottle from her hand. Natasha doesn’t resist him.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

A part of me hated him. But he did not deserve what I did.

 

CLINT

What did you do?

 

Natasha slowly turns her head to look him in the eye.

 

NATASHA

I made him inhale a gas that burned his lungs from the inside out.

 

She looks away again.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

You saw what I did to the diplomat. The one you tried to save?

 

CLINT

Okay, how about we...

 

He takes her arm, but Natasha wrenches it out of his grip. She holds up her arms and laughs hysterically.

 

NATASHA

I can’t always remember, they don’t always let me, but when I do... I can see how much blood I have spilt... If you wrote down a ledger of what I’ve done it would be a ledger of blood...

 

She goes to cut herself again and Clint quickly takes the glass shard from her.

 

CLINT

All right, c’mon. I’m patching you up.

 

He helps her up and Natasha is too weak to fight him.

 

NATASHA

No, don’t you see, I don’t deserve to live... I don’t think everyone I killed deserved to live but neither do I... neither do I...

 

CLINT

Look, if there is one thing I’ve learned in this business, it’s that you gotta earn forgiveness. It isn’t just given. But everyone deserves the chance to earn it. Make sense? Everyone deserves that chance. Even you.

 

He sits her down on the couch and gets the first aid kit, wiping carefully at the blood and bandaging her cuts.

 

NATASHA

You are a good person, Clint Barton.

 

She passes out.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S ROOM - NIGHT

 

The door to Natasha’s room opens. It isn’t decorated yet, just a bare room with a bed and a dresser etc. Clint stands in the doorway, carrying an unconscious Natasha in his arms, her head cradled on his shoulder.

 

He carefully carries her over to the bed, and we see that her arms are all bandaged. He gently pulls back the covers and lays her down in bed, tucking her in.

 

Clint then sighs, exiting the room. He returns a moment later with a chair, a book, and a reading light. He sets the chair down by the bed, turns on the reading light, and flips open the book.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S ROOM - MORNING

 

Clint starts awake in the morning, his book falling to the floor. He looks around. Natasha’s bed is made and she is gone.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. KITCHEN - MORNING

 

Clint bursts into the kitchen, only to stop short as he sees Natasha standing there. She is making pancakes using a recipe on Clint’s laptop. She turns and sees him there. She’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt so her arms can’t be seen.

 

NATASHA

You need to change your password, trickshot81.

 

Clint stares at her.

 

CLINT

You’re making pancakes.

 

NATASHA

Glad to see you don’t need glasses as well as hearing aids.

 

CLINT

You’re... a deadly super spy, and you’re making pancakes.

 

Natasha nods.

 

Clint grins.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Please tell me those have chocolate chips in them.

 

Natasha flips one at him. He catches it, excited... only to see there are blueberries in them.

 

NATASHA

You can’t catch bad guys if you can’t keep up with them.

 

CLINT

...did you just call me fat?

 

Natasha laughs. Clint throws the pancake at her. It hits her in the face but she keeps laughing. Clint smiles. This, this is what he wants to see more of: happy Natasha.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

So from the beginning she had the ability to manipulate you.

 

CLINT

Wait, what?

 

Senator Rush holds up a file.

 

SENATOR RUSH

It states here that no more than two months after being accepted into Delta Squad, Black Widow went on an unsanctioned mission to the Red Room, where she was joined by Hawkeye. Neither agent was authorized.

 

Clint takes a deep breath, forcing himself not to glance over at where Natasha is sitting.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. GYM - DAY

 

Natasha is in the middle of the fight mat at the gym. She’s facing off against five other agents, including Clint, and kicking their asses.

 

At one point Clint comes at Natasha from behind. She flips him neatly over her shoulder, slamming him face-up into the mat and knocking the wind out of him. Clint starts laughing, which turns into coughing as he tries to get his breath back.

 

COULSON

Barton.

 

Everyone snaps to attention. Clint gets up and jogs over to where Coulson is standing by the door, while the other four agents go back to trying to beat Natasha. Trying being the operative word here.

 

COULSON (CONT’D)

How’s she doing?

 

Clint looks over at Natasha. It’s kind of scary how intense and focused she is during a fight.

 

CLINT

She’s doing good. The others are warming up to her. Are you here with a mission for us?

 

COULSON

Fury doesn’t want her on a mission for at least another month.

 

CLINT

C’mon, Phil. We’re both getting stir crazy here. And she’s... not doing so well. Uh, she has trouble sleeping, and stuff.

 

COULSON

And stuff?

 

CLINT

I don’t want to violate her privacy.

 

COULSON

Should I appoint her a therapist?

 

CLINT

Maybe in a couple months. She still only talks to me.

 

Both men look over at Natasha. Sure enough, she’s being completely silent while fighting the other agents.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I think she needs to get back out there and actually do something instead of just sitting around.

 

COULSON

You know that’s out of my control. We’ll keep her until we know she’s clean.

 

Coulson leaves.

 

CLINT

But are any of us clean, really?

 

He watches as Natasha finishes beating the snot out of the other four agents. She turns and looks at him, and he flashes her a thumbs-up.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. CLINT’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

 

Clint and Natasha are sitting on Clint’s bed. We can see the homey touches that Clint has in his room. There are various archery medals, there’s a Mass Effect poster and a Dragon Age poster, there are books on the shelves and clothes in a laundry hamper.

 

Clint is showing Natasha various photos.

 

CLINT

And this is of me and my brother Barney.

 

Natasha looks at it.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

That was right after the Swordsman took me on as his apprentice.

 

He hands Natasha another picture, this one of Clint with the Swordsman.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

He taught me a lot.

 

NATASHA

Where is he now?

 

CLINT

He, uh, was caught embezzling money from the circus. Specifically, I caught him. I was going to tell on him so he beat me. Left me for dead and then skipped town.

 

Natasha stares at him.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Things with Barney became pretty strained after that. I left the circus, worked Coney Island for a while...

 

NATASHA

But you did nothing wrong. You were trying to do the right thing. Why were you the one who had to leave?

 

CLINT

People don’t always get what they deserve. I think that’s part of why I agreed to join this thing when Fury found me. I wanted to have a chance to protect those who deserve to be protected.

 

NATASHA

I like... giving people what they deserve.

 

She smiles wickedly. She then picks up another photo. This one is from just a couple of years ago and shows Clint with a blonde woman. They have their arms around each other and they’re smiling.

 

CLINT

That’s, uh, you don’t wanna...

 

Natasha flips the picture over. It says, BOBBI AND CLINT.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

That’s Bobbi. Uh, Barbara. My... ex-wife.

 

Natasha sets the photo aside.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

We met when we became members of Delta Squad. She was the one with me when I lost my hearing. She was super supportive and we... but anyway. It didn’t last. She quit SHIELD and she quit me.

 

Natasha looks up at him. She can see all the things that Clint isn’t saying and how hurt he still is.

She sits up and hugs him.

 

Clint is surprised, but then returns the hug.

 

Natasha pulls back, smiling, but doesn’t see Clint’s face. Instead she sees the officer’s face, the man she killed with the gas mask.

 

Natasha reels back, and now she sees Clint again.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Whoa, Natasha, are you okay?

 

Natasha is terrified. She stares at Clint with wide eyes.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

It’s okay. Natasha, it’s okay. It’s just me.

 

After a moment, Natasha calms down. Clint carefully moves the photos off to the side and draws Natasha to him. Now it’s his turn to hug her. Natasha lays her head on his shoulder.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Who did you see this time?

 

Natasha shakes her head.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

What can I do? How can I help?

 

NATASHA

Just hold me.

 

Clint nods and rocks slowly back and forth, holding her.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S ROOM - EVENING

 

Natasha is sitting on the bed with a computer in front of her, practicing sign language. We realize that she is following a sign language tutorial video online, and that she is learning sign language for Clint.

 

YELENA

Did you even care?

 

Natasha turns and sees Yelena standing in the shadows.

 

NATASHA

I know you.

 

YELENA

I shared my meals with you when we had to fight for bread. I helped you study for the written tests.

 

NATASHA

Who are you?

 

Natasha stands up. Yelena morphs into the man Natasha shot. He is now ungagged, but blood still drips from the gunshot wound in his head.

 

SHOT MAN

Was it all for Mother Russia? Was it worth it?

 

NATASHA

I don’t understand...

 

She feels faint and grips the bed.

 

SHOT MAN

You see? They could no longer indoctrinate you as children. They had to brainwash you to keep you in line. You know the truth.

 

NATASHA

I can’t escape. There’s no way out.

 

The man morphs into the diplomat that Hawkeye tried to save. His throat is gone, a bloody mess, from the poison that ate away at it.

 

DEAD DIPLOMAT

Why should you escape?

 

He advances on her.

 

DEAD DIPLOMAT (CONT’D)

Do you really think you deserve to? After all you have done?

 

Natasha’s room slowly morphs into an on-fire hospital room. She looks around. The diplomat is gone, but now she can hear children screaming.

 

She sinks to the ground, covering her ears. She’s on the edge of a mental breakdown.

 

YELENA

The words.

 

Natasha looks up. Yelena is standing over her.

 

YELENA (CONT’D)

Find the words. They have them somewhere. Find the words to free yourself.

 

NATASHA

Find the words.

 

The fire, Yelena, and everything else vanishes. Natasha is back in her room.

 

She stands up, full of new determination. She will find the code words that control her and the code words that free her, and she will get out.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. HALLWAY - MORNING

 

Clint leans against Natasha’s door and knocks on it.

 

CLINT

Rise and shine, sleepyhead! The new Captain America movie is out and we gotta see it so I can tease Phil about it.

 

There’s no answer. Clint rattles the door handle.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

C’mon, Natasha, I know you can hear me.

 

There’s still no answer.

 

Concerned, Clint opens the door. The bed is made, but everything else is gone, including Natasha. On the bed is a note.

 

Clint picks it up. The note reads:

 

DEAR CLINT,

 

I HAVE TO CLEAR SOME OF THE RED OFF MY LEDGER. YOU UNDERSTAND. BE BACK SOON.

NATASHA

 

P.S. TELL RUMLOW THE CHINESE FOOD IN THE FRIDGE IS MINE AND IF HE TOUCHES IT I WILL FRY HIS-

 

Clint drops the note before we can read the rest.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Hoo boy.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SHIELD - DAY

 

Coulson, running on too much coffee and not enough sleep, is walking with Clint.

 

COULSON

Absolutely not. No one has been sent to infiltrate the Red Room and for good reason.

 

CLINT

I have to help her.

 

COULSON

When did you turn into a bleeding heart?

 

CLINT

Don’t act like you aren’t one yourself.

 

They stop walking and turn to face each other.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Phil, they did something to her. I can see it in her eyes. She isn’t all there. It’s like she’s trapped in her own head, fighting to get out. Sometimes she looks at me and I swear, she isn’t seeing me. She’s seeing someone else.

 

COULSON

I can’t sanction this.

 

CLINT

I’m not asking you to. Just... keep the brass off my back while I track her.

 

COULSON

If you want to help her you should be stopping her, not joining her in the spider’s web.

 

CLINT

You really want to cure an attack dog, you have to separate it from its owner.

 

He walks away.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

 

Natasha stands on the edge of a forest. It’s winter. In the clearing, we see a mansion: The Red Room.

 

Natasha stares at it for a moment. Then she advances.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. NATASHA’S RED ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha silently enters her old room through the window. She stands in it, looking around. She hears whispered giggles, but there’s no one there.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM BEDROOMS - NIGHT

 

Natasha enters the bedrooms where she used to sleep as a child. She looks at the beds and sees herself and Yelena there, handcuffed to the bed.

 

YELENA

Guess what I got.

 

She takes out a loaf of bread from underneath her mattress.

 

YOUNG NATASHA

You stole that?

 

YELENA

Ofelia told me it’s a time-honored Black Widow tradition to steal bread from the kitchens.

 

The two giggle. Natasha shakes her head to get rid of the memories and approaches a vent. This is what she’s been looking for.

 

Natasha pries open the vent. As she does so, she hears the voice of YOUNG PETRA.

 

YOUNG PETRA

It’s so cold in here! Can’t they block the vents?

 

YOUNG OFELIA

It’s to toughen us up, you silly little cow.

 

Natasha enters the vent. It’s a tight fit but she manages to make it. She begins to crawl through in a spider-esque manner.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM HALLWAY - NIGHT

 

Clint enters carefully through a window, landing on the same balcony that Yelena and Natasha once used to watch the older girls. He presses back against the wall, keeping to the shadows.

 

There’s no one around.

 

He makes his way down the carpeted stairs, marveling at what a fancy place this is. He hears voices and slips behind a pillar.

 

Two attendants appear, chatting with one another in Russian about the soccer game. One of them types in a code on the keypad at a door. The door opens, revealing a sterile, science-lab-esque hallway on the other side. The door closes.

 

Clint slips up to the door and pulls out a small device. He flips it on and uses it to look at the keypad - the device picks up on the residual heat from the attendant’s fingers.

 

Clint types in the code.

 

The keypad turns green and the door opens. Clint slips through.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM TECH ROOM - NIGHT

 

Clint enters the room, bow drawn. There’s no one in sight at this time of night.

 

He walks over to the computers and begins trying to type in information. The computer asks for an access code.

 

After a moment of hesitation, he tries the same access code from the door. The computer beeps and welcomes him with LEVEL TWO CLEARANCE.

 

Hawkeye types in BLACK WIDOW PROGRAM.

 

Several videos and files pop up. He sees one with Natasha in it and clicks on it.

 

The video pops up, showing Natasha tied to a chair in a dark room. There is a harsh light shining on her, but Natasha doesn’t blink.

 

INTERROGATOR

[In Russian] - Madame tells me you’ve been having nightmares.

 

NATASHA

[In Russian] - I’m fine.

 

Clint fast-forwards the video, watching at high speed as attendants hook Natasha up and start using electrotherapy on her. He hits play, and the screen fills with Natasha screaming.

 

Clint quickly exits out of the video. He clicks on another one. Natasha is sitting in a chair but not tied down this time. She looks younger.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

I know that we are serving our country. I do not doubt that. But do we have to kill so many?

 

MADAME B

This is war, Natalia. They are doing the same to us. If we hesitated, they would see us as weak and they would strike us harder.

 

Clint exits out of the video. He scrolls farther back, trying to find something. He types in the search bar,

 

BLACK WIDOW CONTROL WORDS

 

Behind him, we see a figure drop down silently from the ceiling. It’s Natasha.

 

Clint doesn’t hear her. He finds a file and clicks on it.

 

CLINT

Bingo.

 

It’s a list of the code words and what they do. He quickly sticks a USB drive into the computer and begins downloading all of the information.

 

Natasha stops, seeing who he is.

 

NATASHA

How did you get here?

 

Clint whirls around.

 

CLINT

I, uh, followed you.

 

She stares at him.

 

NATASHA

You followed me.

 

CLINT

Yeah.

 

NATASHA

Coulson wouldn’t like that.

 

CLINT

I don’t care.

 

NATASHA

You could get fired for this.

 

CLINT

I promised I would help you. You can’t be free until we get rid of these people and the things they did to you. So.

 

He gestures to the USB drive.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I have it. The information that can set you free. If I give it to SHIELD they can figure out how to get rid of the mental programming.

 

Natasha eyes him, and then the device.

 

NATASHA

Clint...

 

CLINT

Look, Nat, just let me do this for you, okay? This is what friends do for each other.

 

NATASHA

I’m your friend?

 

Clint nods.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

The last friend I had... I killed her.

 

CLINT

Well let’s hope for a better outcome this time, huh?

 

Natasha thinks about it.

 

NATASHA

First, we burn this place to the ground.

 

Clint nods his agreement.

 

The USB drive beeps, indicating it’s finished downloading. Natasha watches as Clint takes it out and puts it back in his pocket.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

By the way, how did you disable the cameras?

 

CLINT

What cameras?

 

NATASHA

The security cameras.

 

Clint looks up. There’s a tiny black dot on the wall in the corner.

 

CLINT

Shit.

 

The door is kicked open as several armed guards rush in. Both Clint and Natasha immediately go into battle mode.

 

GUARD

Report, report, we have a rogue agent and a wayward spider, repeat, rogue agent and wayward spider in-

 

Natasha leaps at him, stopping him from finishing his sentence. It’s clear that these guards are equipped to handle run of the mill agents, but these aren’t run of the mill - they’re the best of the best.

 

Clint gets into hand-to-hand when he needs to, but mostly he stands on top of a table and fires arrows into the guards, especially to cover Natasha’s back as she gets up close with them. The two of them make an excellent team.

 

When the guards are down, Natasha turns to look at him.

 

NATASHA

Follow me.

 

She takes off, Clint scrambling to follow.

 

CLINT

Yes ma’am.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. WEAPONS ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha hacks into the keypad and opens the door to the weapons room. Inside is a vast array of high-tech weaponry.

 

Clint stares.

 

Natasha walks over to where the bombs are and begins picking some out. When she has an armful, she dumps them all into Clint’s arms. He tries not to drop them.

 

NATASHA

I assume you have a map of the building?

 

Clint nods.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

I want you to place these at the weak points in the structure.

 

CLINT

Wow, when you make up your mind about something, you really don’t go halfway.

 

Natasha starts to leave the room.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Where are you going?

 

NATASHA

To deal with someone.

 

CLINT

These are going to blow pretty quickly. You sure you’ll make it out in time?

 

Natasha doesn’t answer.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I have a car in the forest, northwest of here. Meet me there.

 

Natasha walks away. Clint stares down at the bombs.

 

CLINT

Hoo boy.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

So let me get this straight. You helped this woman, who clearly has issues with violence and is nothing short of unbalanced-

 

CLINT

I suggest you watch the words you’re throwing around-

 

SENATOR RUSH

You helped her to break into her former headquarters, blow up the building, killing - someone look at the files, what was the death toll again?

 

CLINT

If by that you mean we successfully destroyed the entire Red Room operation-

 

SENATOR RUSH

And did it never occur to anyone, that these psychotic episodes - I mean, good Lord, it’s a pity Agent Coulson can’t be put up on this stand-

 

Clint stands up in the witness box, shaking with rage. Natasha and Pepper quickly both stand, worried for Clint.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Objection, such comments are uncalled for and bordering on slander. We are here to debate facts, not cast blame, especially on a decorated and deceased agent who, I will remind the court, died defending his country and was posthumously awarded for his valor.

 

Pepper sits down. Natasha and Clint remain standing. Senator Rush begins to realize that the two deadliest assassins in the world are staring him down.

 

SENATOR RUSH

I - I apologize. I got a little ahead of myself.

 

Natasha and Clint slowly sit back down.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Now, where were we?

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. RED ROOM - NIGHT

 

Natasha makes her way through the building, silent, invisible. We get to see what a master of stealth she is.

 

She grabs an ornate candle holder in the wall and uses it to swing up, bracing herself with her feet and then pushing up to grab onto the ceiling molding, hoisting herself into position. Splayed out against the ceiling and wall, she looks like a spider, waiting for prey.

 

A moment later two guards, heavily armed, jog by.

 

Natasha silently lands behind them. She grabs one, shocking him in the neck with her Widow’s Bite. The other one turns and she neatly ducks his gun, grabbing his wrist and putting her thumb on a pressure point, making him drop the weapon while she jabs him in the throat, shoving his Adam’s apple back and killing him almost instantly.

 

All of this has been done in complete silence. It’s watching the human spider in action, and we see why she is called the Black Widow - not just because she kills her targets after sleeping (or almost sleeping) with them but because her movements, her striking, her sneak attacks, the way she moves so silently, are all reminiscent of a spider.

 

Her targets dropped, Natasha finishes the spider touch by pulling out rubber-covered wires and using them to wrap the men up and hog-tie them.

 

She then rounds the corner - and just barely dodges a blow.

 

It’s Madame B.

 

This is the first time we’ve seen Madame B in action. Up until now we’ve been given the impression of a relatively physically fit older woman, the kind who might be a member of the nobility in another life. But never have we been led to suspect just how deadly she is.

 

Judging by her shocked reaction, Natasha never suspected either.

 

Natasha goes to deliver a forearm strike to Madame B, who grabs Natasha’s arm painfully tightly. Their faces are only about a foot apart.

 

MADAME B

I should have known it would be you.

 

Natasha breaks free, twisting out of the grip, and delivers a spin kick.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

I look forward to finally breaking you.

 

NATASHA

I look forward to killing you.

 

And the fight begins.

 

We’ve seen Natasha fighting a few times now. She’s fought various guards and people at once. She’s fought Clint. Now she’s fighting someone who might actually be her equal... or even her superior.

 

Madame B strikes hard, with no mercy. Natasha is completely taken aback by the woman’s skill and ferocity and struggles to keep up. Natasha starts out on the defense, dodging and mainly blocking. At first, we are led to believe that Natasha is overwhelmed. She seems to be barely keeping up.

 

MADAME B

You were always too quiet, always watching-

 

Natasha ducks, just barely missing being clocked in the head.

 

MADAME B (CONT’D)

You’re nothing but a weakling, a traitor, you couldn’t handle it, you have no loyalty!

 

And then we see the tide turn. Natasha hasn’t been overwhelmed - she’s been letting Madame B show all of her tricks while showing none of her own. Now Natasha is the one to grab Madame B.

 

NATASHA

I am loyal to those who deserve it.

 

She gives a vicious yell, striking back, and now, now we see what happens when Natasha fights not just with her skills, but with her emotion. All of her rage, all of her bottled up feelings, are coming to the forefront. She strikes again, and again, a whirlwind. She is a Fury.

 

Slowly, but surely, Madame B begins to go down.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

This is for Yelena!

 

She strikes Madame B hard, and the older woman crashes into the wall.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

This is for the man you made me shoot!

 

She strikes again, then grabs Madame B by the throat.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

This is for every girl you had killed because she had the gall to retain her humanity!

 

She hoists Madame B up, the woman’s feet dangling. Natasha draws a knife from her belt.

Clint runs in, stopping at the entrance to the hallway. He sees what’s happening and freezes.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

And this is for me.

 

She stabs Madame B in the stomach. As she does so, we see that Natasha’s face is no longer filled with rage, but tears.

 

CLINT

Nat, we gotta go! This place is set to blow!

 

Natasha drops Madame B like a piece of garbage.

 

NATASHA

Da svidahnia.

 

She walks away, meeting Clint. He sees that her eyes are wet.

 

CLINT

You okay?

 

Natasha nods.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Let’s get out of here.

 

We CUT TO Clint and Natasha driving away as the building burns behind them. Natasha turns and watches. Then she turns back, facing forward.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

And what about Budapest?

 

CLINT

Budapest?

 

We CUT TO Natasha in the witness chair.

 

NATASHA

What about it?

 

The next bit is a montage, switching back and forth between Rush, Natasha, and Clint a la the interrogation scene in the episode “Bushwhacked” from the television show Firefly. It also shows the scenes that they are talking about – an insane car chase through the city with Natasha driving, a building exploding, etc.

 

SENATOR RUSH

The mission dubbed simply ‘Budapest’ is the last mission that you and Miss Romanoff went on as a team. It’s also one of the most classified missions in SHIELD history, and I’m including the mission that located Steve Rogers when I say that.

 

CLINT

Reports of what happened in Budapest are... wildly exaggerated.

 

SENATOR RUSH

So you didn’t almost destroy two national landmarks.

 

First, we see Natasha and Clint fighting in the Hungarian Art Collection, which is house in Buda Castle. One of the men is stabbed by Natasha and almost falls against a painting. Natasha catches him before he can reach it.

 

NATASHA

Watch out for the blood splatter!

 

We then see the Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest as the scene of a massive fire fight before we cut back to the present moment.

 

NATASHA

I’m afraid that’s classified.

 

CLINT

Whoa whoa there, hold on, I was willing to be subtle, SHE’S the one who brought the C4.

 

We see Natasha wiring the riverbank with C4.

 

A moment later there is a massive explosion.

 

NATASHA

Our intelligence was faulty.

 

SENATOR RUSH

And this led to a city-wide car chase how?

 

We see Natasha tearing through the city, chasing one identified car with another identified car following them. Everyone is shooting at each other. The police are arriving, sirens blaring.

 

CLINT

Listen, that woman can drive.

 

SENATOR RUSH

It says here that Agent Barton was injured in the course of the final fire fight.

 

Clint falls, stabbed.

 

CLINT

It was just a scratch, honestly.

 

SENATOR RUSH

And that you dispatched the man who injured him?

 

NATASHA

I really don’t see how this has any bearing on the investigation into whether or not I am an agent of HYDRA.

 

SENATOR RUSH

You shot the man sixteen times.

 

There is a pause in the courtroom as we see what Rush is getting at.

 

NATASHA

Did I? I’m afraid I don’t remember.

We get a quick flashback to Clint clutching his side. Natasha rises up next to him and advances on the man who shot him. Natasha’s face is cold fury. She shoots the man over and over and over again until Clint staggers to his feet and puts his hand on her shoulder.

 

We come back to the present.

 

CLINT

I don’t see what you’re getting at.

 

SENATOR RUSH

Oh, you don’t? You don’t see how setting off a bomb and disappearing off the face of the earth, where even your SHIELD handlers couldn’t find you, for three days, might warrant some investigation?

 

We flashback to Clint cradling Natasha. She has a bloody wound on her head.

 

CLINT

Nat... Nat c’mon, please...

 

We flashback again as Clint busts open the door of an abandoned building, carrying an unconscious Natasha. He lays her down on a mattress.

 

A DOCTOR hurries in, clearly the kind of doctor you don’t go to unless you’re desperate. He begins examining Natasha. Clint holds Natasha’s hand.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

C’mon, Nat, c’mon... I can’t lose you, please...

 

In the present day, we see Natasha on the witness stand.

 

NATASHA

I sustained a concussion during the fight. Agent Barton checked me into a hospital under an assumed name so I could recover.

 

We flashback to Clint lying on the filthy mattress in the dark with Natasha. He’s curled against her side, his arm slung over her waist.

 

Natasha wakes up. She gasps, disoriented. Clint is immediately awake.

 

CLINT

Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s me, I’m here.

 

Natasha grabs at him, touching his face. She realizes that he’s crying. She sits up.

 

NATASHA

What - why are you crying?

 

CLINT

Sorry. You’ve been out for a while.

 

Natasha stares at him.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

(Softly) - C’mon Nat. Don’t tell me you don’t know.

 

Natasha strokes his face.

 

NATASHA

You’re my best friend.

 

Clint misreads this as rejection.

 

CLINT

Don’t worry, I get it-

 

Natasha leans in and gently kisses him. She pulls back. Clint is dumbfounded.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Are - are you sure?

 

Natasha nods and smiles at him. She leans in and kisses him again.

 

We CUT BACK TO the present.

 

SENATOR RUSH

You mean to tell me that you were with a beautiful woman like that 24/7 and nothing ever happened.

 

CLINT

I think you’re making an awful lot of bad assumptions with that sentence.

 

SENATOR RUSH

Given your track record, the recklessness you have routinely shown when Agent Barton’s life is on the line is not only out of character but might even be deemed-

 

NATASHA

Agent Barton is my best friend. Is having best friends no longer allowed anymore?

 

CLINT

If Natasha and I had been sleeping together, it would have been reported to our superiors at SHIELD. It’s protocol.

 

We flashback to Natasha and Clint heavily making out in the gym. Natasha’s legs are around Clint’s waist as he makes a controlled fall onto the fighting mat, with Natasha underneath him. One of his hands snakes down as he kisses at Natasha’s neck and she arches back, gasping.

 

There is the sound of files dropping to the ground.

 

Clint and Natasha abruptly stop and turn to see Coulson standing in the doorway, files scattered on the floor around him.

 

COULSON

Please tell me I’m dreaming.

 

CLINT

I’d be a little concerned if this is what you dream about, Phil.

 

Natasha shoves Clint off of her and scrambles to her feet.

 

NATASHA

This is all my fault, Coulson, I’ll take full responsibility-

 

Coulson holds up a hand and Natasha stops.

 

COULSON

If this is found out, you know they’ll never let you two work together again. Especially after what happened to your last relationship, Clint.

 

Clint slowly stands up.

 

NATASHA

Please don’t tell anyone.

 

COULSON

Did - did you just say please?

 

Natasha nods.

 

Clint comes forward, taking Natasha’s hand.

 

CLINT

Phil, please. You know the shit’ll hit the fan if you report us. They’ll ground us. We’ll be lucky if we get to see each other in a year.

 

Coulson looks at them, searching their faces.

 

COULSON

I gotta tell Fury-

 

He turns to go and Clint strides forward, stopping him.

 

CLINT

Phil, please, no, I love her.

 

Natasha stares at him. Clint realizes what he’s said. He looks over at Natasha.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

I - I love her.

 

Coulson looks back at Natasha, and then at Clint.

 

COULSON

I’ll keep this off the books. For now. But if you two screw this up, I’m throwing you both under the bus.

 

CLINT

I always knew you were a romantic.

 

Coulson sighs and exits.

 

COULSON

And read those files! You’ve both been assigned new missions.

 

The door closes behind him. Clint looks over at Natasha.

 

CLINT

Sorry to kind of... spring that on you.

 

Natasha walks over to him and kisses him.

 

NATASHA

The only thing I care about is if you want to read those files first and then have fun? Or get back to having fun and read the files later?

 

Clint smiles and pulls her in for a kiss.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

SENATOR RUSH

After Budapest, you were assigned to Stark.

 

NATASHA

Yes. Barton was dispatched to New Mexico while I went undercover as Stark’s secretary.

 

She glances over at Pepper, who winks at her. Natasha struggles to hide her smile and looks back at Rush.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

It was right after I got Stark to agree to join the Avengers Initiative that Loki arrived, and you know the rest.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. CLINT’S BEDROOM - EVENING

 

Natasha is sitting in the center of Clint’s bed. His “Video Games for Dummies” book is in her hands.

 

The door opens - it’s Coulson.

 

COULSON

We’ll get him back.

 

Natasha looks up.

 

NATASHA

I never told him. I never told him how I...

 

She can’t find the words and throws the book across the room.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

Why can’t I - he says things so easily, and I try, and they just get stuck in my throat...

 

COULSON

He knew. Natasha, trust me, he knew. He knows.

 

Natasha looks up at him.

 

COULSON (CONT’D)

Right now we need to focus on getting him back. And we need Banner for that.

 

Natasha stands up, wiping at her eyes. She nods.

 

NATASHA

On it.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

The defense lawyer is now speaking.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

And the rest, as you all know, has been made public record, or as public as possible. Miss Romanoff’s story is one you know well - the story of redemption. She has completed countless missions in her time at SHIELD, and each time it has been to the benefit of the helpless, the defenseless, and the threatened. You keep looking for evidence of HYDRA, and yet you have found none. In fact, the closest Senator Rush here could get to an accusation was wildly speculating about my client’s relationship with her colleague.

 

He turns back to face Natasha on the witness stand.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER (CONT’D)

Now, Miss Romanoff, I have just one more question for you. As you have detailed for us, and as you all have read in your files, you were the one who released every single one of SHIELD’s records to the public.

 

NATASHA

Yes.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

So, Natasha - if I may call you Natasha - why?

 

NATASHA

Why?

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Why did you release those files? You must have known that every single bit of information about you would be broadcast to the world. The video files of your training and brainwashing in the Red Room, recordings of your assassinations, the hospital explosion, all of your SHIELD missions, even your therapy sessions with your SHIELD-sanctioned therapist. Your life, out there, visible to the entire world. Your virtues and your sins. Why?

 

Natasha takes a moment to breathe and gather herself.

 

NATASHA

Even in the Red Room, we had heard of SHIELD. We were led to think of it and its agents as our greatest enemies. And so when I wanted to get away, I knew that SHIELD was where I should go. It’s in the name - SHIELD. Peggy Carter, SHIELD’s first director, gave it that acronym for a reason. She wanted to protect people. To help. That was what I wanted to do. And when I realized that the organization to which I had given my life, the organization that had power over the people I cared about the most, was full of corruption? Was full of neo-Nazi, power hungry jackasses? What else could I do?

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Even at the cost of your privacy?

 

NATASHA

I don’t know that I deserve privacy. Not after all that I have done.

 

She looks around at the assembled crowd.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

Everyone here has heard about the things I did. The people I killed. I hear them, every night when I try to sleep. Everything I have done with SHIELD has been to try and make up for the lives I’ve taken... but I’ve started to think that nothing can ever make up for it.

 

She looks down at her hands. They’re steady. She looks back up.

 

NATASHA (CONT’D)

I was a killer. And no, I shouldn’t be forgiven for it. But I am not a HYDRA agent. And I hope that my work with SHIELD shows that, even if I can’t make up for what I did, I’ve done my best to make sure that no one else does anything like what I did ever again.

 

The defense lawyer nods.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER

Thank you, Miss Romanoff.

 

He turns and looks at the assembled crowd.

 

DEFENSE LAWYER (CONT’D)

Stop me if I’m wrong, but that sounds a hell of a lot like a hero to me.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. SENATE - DAY

 

Clint and Natasha are standing together with Pepper, the defense lawyer, and others as the judge re-enters the room. The judge clears her throat. Everyone waits with bated breath.

 

There is a pause, and then the judge reads her verdict.

 

JUDGE

We hereby find Natasha Romanoff, also known as SHIELD agent Black Widow, to be not guilty of crimes or treason against the US and cleared of all charges.

 

Pepper gasps and starts cheering. Clint grins.

 

Natasha feels as though a huge weight is off her shoulders - we can see the physical change in her. Pepper, jumping up and down, hugs her. Natasha hugs her back, laughing.

 

Clint moves Pepper out of the way and hugs her as well. Natasha all but sags against him.

 

CLINT

(Whispering) - You earned it.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY

 

Clint leads Natasha through a parking lot and to their car. They both get in, completely silent.

They drive for a bit. Natasha leans her forehead against the window, watching as they drive past landmarks. Eventually, Clint reaches a park.

 

Clint stops the car and climbs out, and then holds the door open for Natasha.

 

Natasha gets out, and Clint pulls some normal “street” clothes out of the car.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. PARK - DAY

 

Clint and Natasha, now wearing the street clothes, walk through the park. They walk until they are away from all people, entering a wooded area.

 

Finally alone, Natasha breaks down and cries. Big, heaving sobs. She is so exhausted and feels so exposed. Her whole life has now been aired for everyone to see.

 

Clint pulls her in, hugging her and making soothing noises as she sobs. She cries for a good long minute.

 

Finally, she pulls back. Clint tenderly wipes the tears off of her face.

 

NATASHA

I’m sorry.

 

CLINT

Don’t be. You were amazing up there.

 

NATASHA

You’re just saying that ‘cause you love me.

 

CLINT

I love you because you’re amazing.

 

Natasha smiles. Clint kisses her.

 

CLINT (CONT’D)

Let’s go home.

 

Natasha nods, hugging him again. Clint holds her.

 

CUT TO:

 

INT. PLANE - DAY

 

Clint and Natasha are on a plane back to the Avenger’s Tower in New York City. Natasha is asleep, curled against Clint, who is reading. His phone rings.

 

He answers it - it’s Maria Hill.

 

HILL

Where are you?

 

CLINT

Plane back to the tower.

 

HILL

I need you to get a hold of the others now. I can’t find Rogers or Stark. Did you hear about Shanxi?

 

CLINT

No, I’ve been keeping her away from the news.

 

HILL

There’s a new initiative being planned, and pretty much every country’s on board. It’s called the Accords. They want to register all superheroes.

 

CLINT

What?

 

HILL

Until then, everyone is suspended. Get the New Avengers and tell them - and find Rogers immediately.

 

CLINT

Maria, we just finished her trial. She needs a few days. Hell, I need a few days.

 

HILL

I wish I could give that to you. But things are moving quickly. They’re meeting in two days.

 

CLINT

I’ll get them all together. Don’t worry.

 

HILL

Thanks.

 

She hangs up. Clint looks over at the sleeping Natasha, gently tucking her hair behind her ear.

In her sleep, Natasha smiles.

 

Clint leans his head against hers and closes his eyes.

 

The plane flies on.

 

FADE TO BLACK.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly worry that this isn't as good as everyone's expectations wanted it to be, but I hope that you all enjoyed it anyway.
> 
> I also must apologize for the unusually high kudos count. Someone was inflating my kudos unfairly for a time. I marked the story as 'for registered users only' for a few months and that stopped it, but I can't undo the kudos.


End file.
